Forget small talk or introductions. Mike Daisey hasn't the time. There are 90 minutes available to him to weave New York, subways, family, borscht and 9/11 into "Invincible Summer," the monologue now making its New England premiere at the Zero Arrow, and he's bursting at the seams with information. So, instead, he immediately begins to tell American Repertory Theatre patrons about his wedding.
With this comes Daisey's assumption that his audience -- presented with Daisey, table, water glass and written outline -- is willing to follow him along, a gutsy choice for a performer alone on a stark stage. But as Daisey unleashes a quick-hit succession of quips, comedy and a choice expletive or two, an audience member can settle into the warm darkness of the space confident that the monologuist is going to deliver the goods.
It's tough not to have one's interest piqued, after all, by someone who describes his adopted city as crass, wonderful and the geographic equivalent of Paris Hilton.
The first of three monologues set for the Zero Arrow in April and May, "Invincible Summer" frames Daisey's 2001 move from Seattle to New York with the mishmash of external forces that come to impact the performer's transition. Autobiography and commentary, scripted and spontaneous, the monologue showcases its author's performance chops and detail-rich narrative style. From his seat behind the table, Daisey condenses what he described to Bostonist last week as "quite the summer" into 11 scenes, each guided by the single piece of yellow notepad paper he has used to outline that tale.
(Post-show on Saturday night, Bostonist was among several who snuck a peek at the outline to see how much Daisey had actually written down. For 90 minutes of speaking, there was a surprising lack of text visible.)
Armed with an elastic face and hands prone to waving wildly or slapping against his head, the performer is able to infuse depictions of New York with high-octane physicality that conveys the stress that comes with trying to master vast new terrain. Gilbert Gottfried-reminiscent shrieks are used to convey the dastardly heat of a city summer, while happy-go-lucky head bobs poke fun at the minions that descend into the dungeons of the subway each day. Daisey is prone to shouts, outbursts, exclamations -- all delivered with laugh-inducing wide eyes and gesticulations.
But it is in his moments of subtlety that Daisey gives "Invincible Summer" its soul. After one particularly boisterous comedy sequence, the performer sits still in his chair as a circle of light tightens around him. As he describes the moment in which his father announces his impending divorce, only his hands move.
Clench. "We're divorcing." Unclench. "We're not going to be together." Clench. "We are separating."
The delivery of a later line was so poignant that Bostonist wanted to write the words down, but Saturday's audience was so intently focused on the moment that even the sound of a pen on paper would have broken the power of the silence.
Daisey has a knack for pushing the boundaries of comedy and candor, with unflinchingly honest descriptions that show the performer's personal strengths and weaknesses. The result is a cathartic sequence of emotional responses and the feeling that Daisey's gamble has richly paid off.
"Invincible Summer" publicity photo provided by American Repertory Theatre. The monologue runs at the Zero Arrow until April 29 and will be followed by "Monopoly!" (May 1-5) and "Tongues Will Wag" (May 8). For more information, visit ART's website or Mike Daisey's website.
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